Chair Professor
Director, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences
Director, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine
(University of Macau)
Co-Chair & General Secretary, Chinese Joint Research Centre for
Drug Discovery and Development (Peking University, National Taiwan University,
University of Hong Kong and University of Macau)

Prof Yitao Wang is the founding Director of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) at the University of Macau (UM) and of the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (UM). He is known internationally for his pioneering contributions to the modernisation of Chinese medicine (CM), with an emphasis on systematic evaluation and quality control of CM. He has a long-standing interest in integrating CM research with the cutting-edge areas of systems pharmacology and molecular pharmaceutics. In the past 10 years, he has published 200+ research papers in international peer-reviewed journals included in Science Citation Index (SCI) with a notable h-index of 31, authored 230+ papers in Chinese, (co-)edited 16 academic books, and supervised 100 PhD/MSc graduates and 20 postdoctoral researchers.

Prof Wang obtained his Bachelor degree (Medical Sciences, 1982) from Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine (CUCM), and completed his postgraduate study (Pharmacology, 1986) at Chongqing Medical University. After a research stint as Visiting Scholar at Hiroshima University in Japan, he returned to CUCM in 1989 where he contributed to mark several firsts in the history of CM – by establishing the first state key subject in CM education, the first Bachelor programme in Pharmacology of CM, the first postdoctoral training programme in CM, as well as the first “National training base for talents in science – CM”. He served in turn as Dean and Vice President of CUCM, and moved in 1996 to Beijing to take the post of Vice President and Director of Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, where he became in 1999 the Chief Scientist for China’s first National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) in the field of CM. In 2000, Prof Wang was appointed Professor and Director for the CM Programme at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

In 2002, Yitao set off for Macau and founded the ICMS at UM, which has in 10 years evolved to be a promising academic hub to provide complete programmes from BSc, MSc, PhD to postdoctoral training in Biomedical Sciences. In 2008, together with other local experts, he drafted the proposal to launch the first state key laboratory in CM. This application was approved in 2010 by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, which announced to establish in Macao the State Key Laboratry of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, as China’s first state key laboratory in CM. In 2012, he initiated the creation of the Chinese Joint Research Centre for Drug Discovery and Development among Peking University, National Taiwan University, University of Hong Kong and UM, a strategic partnership to mark the first substantial collaboration in science and technonlogy among the four most elite universities in the Greater China region. In line with these accomplishments, Yitao has also initiated joint training programmes and academic collaborations with world-renown universities (e.g. Harvard University, Yale University, University of Chicago and Cambridge University) and organisations (like the World Health Organisation and the US Pharmacopeial Convention).

Prof Wang has been awarded over 30 major funding grants from national, provincial, and special administrative regional administrations. These supports include the prestigious National Basic Research Programme (973), Mega-projects of Scientific Research for 10th Five-Year Plan, China Ministry of Education Key Project, Macao S&T Development Fund, among others. His outstanding achievements in academic service have been recognised by 11 prestigious awards, including the Special Allowance for Experts with Outstanding Contribution from the National Council (1993), National Science and Technology Progress Award (1998), National Intellectual Property Outstanding Achievement Award (1998), Macau Medal of Merit – Education (2011), 1st Macao Science and Technology Awards - Natural Science Award (2012), 2nd Macao Science and Technology Awards - Natural Science Award (2014).Yitao also holds adjunct appointments as Director of International Research Centre of Medicinal Administration at Peking University and as adjunct professors / visiting scholars at numerous universities worldwide, and was elected General Secretory for the International Society for Chinese Medicine and Deputy Secretory for the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. In addition, Yitao serves on several of China’s national committee panels including National Science and Technology Programmes, National Basic Research Programme (973), National Natural Science Foundation, the State Science and Technology Awards and National Centre for Drug Evaluation.

Cao C, Liu JJ, Hu YJ, Wang YT. Analysis of the business value of traditional Chinese medicine based on technology, business and law. Journal of Nanjing University of TCM (Social Science). 2012, 13(2): 111-115.

Fan MX, Hu H, Zhao HY, Wang YT*. The way of increase competitive strength on medical and pharmaceuticals sciences in international market - The study of current situation on Chinese R&D alliance. Chinese Journal of Pharmacentical Technolgy Economics and Management. 2009, 3(5): 38-45.

Fan MX, Bian Y, Zhao HY, Wang YT*. Comparative studies on the policies of improving the quality of life of old people between China and Japan. Medicine and Philosophy(Humanistic & Social Medicine Edition). 2009, 30(7): 30-32.